Best Employer Survey by Hewitt

Hewitt is yet again conducting its "Best Employer of the year" survey this year.

I went through their last year's results and this is what I found.

Reference: 17 Apr 2007,Times of India.

At a time when employees are spoilt with a surfeit of opportunities, recruiting and retaining talent can give companies an edge over competition. Who would be better qualified in doing so than India's best rated employer.

At a glittering ceremony on 16th April, the $12 billion Indian conglomerate Aditya Birla group was judged the Hewitt Best Employer in 2007.

Hyderabad-based Satyam Computer Services and global hotel chain JW Marriott stood second and third, among the top 25 firms chosen from 230 companies. The survey was conducted over six months by interviewing 44,000 employees (representing views of over 2 million workers).

Receiving the award, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman Aditya Birla Group said, "This is a wonderful, wonderful surprise."

The groups win marks a change in the mindset of Indian conglomerates, which were earlier considered to be family run providing limited opportunities for growth of their professionals.

There were six Indian firms among the top winners this year displacing multinationals, who were considered the preferred destinations for career professionals.

Even a few years ago, the Aditya Birla group did not have a clear cut retirement policy for its employees. Today, its HR processes are considered top class even as the group has grown many times in size and diversity during the same time.

One of the biggest factors for Indian companies has been their dramatic growth in size, throwing up immense career opportunities for their employees.

Says Smita Anand, head, Hewitt Associates, "Great employers are those who have the ability to manage their employees career aspirations and provide clear growth opportunities."

Satyam's entry into the top three also signals a much needed change in fast growing IT sector, which in the past kept adding people without setting clear growth path for their software engineers.

Even as the top four software companies are recruiting over 20,000 employees each year, Satyam's effort will set a new benchmark for managing skills and planning the careers for Indias young engineers.

The study also bought out few interesting trends. The old favourites, the public sector firms, figured no where in the top 25, marking the end of an era for job security. Upwardly mobile employees seem to prefer challenges rather than a life time employment guarantee.

Renumeration also was not the driving factor in the overall scheme for employees. Employees seemed to prefer assignments that led them to bigger roles in organisations over bigger pay packets. This is something worth noting down.

According to Hewitt, the top 25 employers are:

1. Aditya Birla Group
2. Satyam Computer Services Limited
3. Marriott Hotels India
4. Eureka Forbes Limited
5. Cisco Systems (India) Private Limited
6. Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.
7. Agilent Technologies Ltd.
8. Standard Chartered Scope International - India
9. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
10. Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
11. Wipro BPO
12. Covansys (India) Private Limited
13. Ajuba Solutions India Private Limited
14. Pantaloon Retail India Limited
15. Text 100 India Pvt. Ltd.
16. Domino's Pizza India Limited
17. Ford India
18. Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd.
19. Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd.
20. HCL Technologies Ltd.- BPO Services
21. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited
22. Johnson and Johnson Medical, India
23. GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd.
24. HSBC
25. Monsanto India Limited

The Best Employers in Asia study revealed four key benefits to being a Best Employer:

A strong competitive advantage over other organizations. Best Employers have a highly engaged workforce that is prepared to go the extra mile for their organization and customers.

Better business results and the ability to grow a sustainable business. This is because Best Employers take a long-term approach to building a sustainable workforce and focus on growing committed and loyal employees who have faith in the leaders of the company.

Attracting the best talent and recognition in the marketplace for having a strong employer brand. Best Employers' employees believe their companies are hiring the right people for the right jobs and deliver on their employment promises.

Long-term employee relationships, which leads to fewer employees leaving the organization. Best Employers also have outstanding leaders in place who not only inspire employees, but actively make them feel valued in the workplace.